How To Assemble The Perfect Toolbox

Everyone should have a proper toolbox. Here's your answer to what should be inside it. We talked to to David Frane, editor of Tools of the Trade magazine and former carpenter and furniture maker, to get his advice on how to assemble the perfect toolbox.

By
Nick Jaynes

Jul 22, 2015

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Everyone should have a proper toolbox. Here's your answer to what should be inside it.

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Illustration by John Swanson

Screwdrivers

"You'll need different sizes and types so buy an assortment of Phillips, slotted, and square-drive. Look at Klein, which are also made in the USA. They're a heavy-duty, classic design. Be sure to get at least one extra-long shaft screwdriver in slotted and number two Phillips, because sooner or later you will need them to get at things standard shafts won't reach."

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Tape Measure

"Again, go old school; get a 16- or 25-foot Stanley PowerLock. A 16 will be too short for a framing carpenter or general contractor, but for around the house stuff, it's way handier than handling a big, fat 30- or 35-footer."

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Socket Set

"Everybody makes these. If I were going to ask for a specific brand, however, I'd have to ask for SK. They're made in the USA and will last you a lifetime, so long as you don't lend them to someone who doesn't give them back."

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Hex Keys and Torx Security Bits

"Traditional hex keys (sometimes called Allen keys) are all loose, which is horrible because you'll end up losing the ones you use most. You can get ones that are connected to each other but those are awkward to use. Best to get a multi-bit driver (think a screwdriver with an open top) with hex key bits. The bits have hex shanks so you can turn them by hand or chuck them into an impact driver or drill. It'd be a good idea to get a driver with Torx bits, too, because Torx head fasteners are common on cars and power tools. Milwaukee makes several nice and reasonably priced sets."

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Japanese Handsaw

"Though there are a ton of traditional tool companies that started making these, I would get something from a Japanese company; look for Japanese characters on the thing. I would start out with what they call a ryoba saw, a double-sided ryoba. What's cool about them is they're really thin, and they have these crazy-sharp teeth with multi-facets on them."

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Utility Knife

"When working on any project, there will always be something that needs cutting, from shortening a bit of hose to cutting some drywall. And there's nothing better for the job than an utility knife, also commonly referred to as a box cutter. There are two styles for these now: the traditional push-out and now a foldout pocketknife-style design. Believe it or not, this tool causes a lot of injuries so be very careful using them."

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Adjustable Square

"This is a must-have for woodworking and metalworking. Like so many tools on this list, everyone and their brother makes one. I'd go with one from Starrett, an American tool company that has been around since the 1800s. These are used for measuring 90- and 45-degree angles and also determining the flatness of your material. This is one of those tools that you wouldn't have realized you'd use so much — but you will."

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Vise Grips

"With a locking jaw and sharp teeth, these are not something you want to use on nice piece of machinery; I wouldn't use it on a bike or a car. These are best for tearing when you're working on something that's basically half destroyed, like when dismantling an old chain link fence for example, and you want to get it apart and you don't care if it gets any more destroyed."

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Pick-Up Tool

"If you work on your house or car, it's a given you will drop vital nuts, bolts, and screws where they can't be reached by hand. A pick-up tool will allow you to retrieve a dropped item without having to tear your house or car apart to get at it. There are two types of pick-up tools: magnetic and claw. The claw opens and closes in response to your sliding a gizmo on the end of the shaft, which is long so it can reach into a duct, stud bay, or drain. The other type has a magnetic tip that will snag anything that will stick to a magnet."

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Illustration by John Swanson

Fast-Acting Clamps

"You'll be amazed how often you need to clamp something down. Nothing does it better than these. With handles almost like that of a caulk gun, you just squeeze and release and it will tighten and clamp. Everyone makes these and they're easy to find in a ton of different sizes."

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Work Lamp

"The Festool Syslite is my favorite. It has a rechargeable battery and LEDs under a polycarbonate lens. I've bounced mine off concrete without issue. The internal battery can be charged with an AC adapter or you can attach it to an optional external battery. These are pricey, but way better than a $14 halogen unit, which will burn your hands when you touch it."

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Work Gloves

"Some people wear full-finger gloves, but I prefer the kind that leaves the fingertips exposed. They make feeling what you're doing that much easier. If you use them a lot, expect to go through a couple of pairs a year. No worries; they're not expensive."

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Block Plane

"I personally own an old Record, which I'm guessing is old enough to have been probably made in England. I don't know where they make them now. But if I were buying now, I would look at a Lie-Nielsen, made in Maine. Everything those guys make is gorgeous, very high-end. They make a bronze block plane, which is a beautiful tool and one I personally covet."

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Illustration by John Swanson

Laser Level

"Laser levels take the guesswork out of whatever leveling job you're doing. The best of them project a 360-degree beam vertical out the front, and out the side, which is at 90 degrees to the first, and then horizontal out the front. Basically, you'll have a perfect grid so you could lay out a square. Pacific Laser Systems makes a great one called the PLS480. It can do just about anything that you want to do except layout a highway or something outdoors over large distances."

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Tongue and Groove Pliers

"Tongue and groove pliers, frequently referred to as Channellocks (for the company that invented them), are good for rough tasks where you need to grasp larger nuts, bolts, and pipes. Slide out one arm, adjusting to the size of whatever you need to grip, and you're ready to go. These are a lot more forgiving than vise grips. Irwin's GrooveLock model is particularly nice and not at all expensive."

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Safety Goggles

"I own a bin full of safety glasses, in part because they come free with things. The ones I most like to wear are Gateway Safety's Flight Eyewear. They're cheap and comfortable – the most comfortable I've ever worn. You might feel sort of silly in safety glasses but when a tooth comes flying off a saw blade and ricochets around your garage like a bullet, you'll be glad you have them on."

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Illustration by John Swanson

Tweezers

"Tweezers might seem a bit goofy, but they're an essential for a toolbox. I mean real tweezers, too, not the flat-end kind for eyebrows. Get the long, skinny ones with the sharp end. You'll need them to dig out a splinter – from wood to metal."

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Illustration by John Swanson

Flashlight

"Maglite is the go-to for law enforcement and the military, but I like one from Coast called the HP7. It's an LED flashlight. Batteries last a very long time and you can beat on the tool and it won't break the filament. Coast also makes one called an A25R rechargeable flashlight, which is stainless steel and focusing. You can set a high and low beam on it. Plus, you can charge it with USB, so you don't get stuck one day with a dead light and no batteries."

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Illustration by John Swanson

Adjustable Wrench

"If you're going to get one, you might as well get the classic Crescent brand. This is the wrench you'll need in a pinch, especially if you want one tool for grabbing a nut or bolt and don't have any box-end wrenches or sockets around."

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Illustration by John Swanson

Hammers

"There are all kinds of fancy hammers around, but I'd go with something very old school. Get an Estwing 16-ounce with the leather handle. They've been making those things forever; you can't destroy them. Plus, it's a nice Made-in-America tool."

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Illustration by John Swanson

Headlamp

"There's a day when you'll find yourself working in the dark and you don't have a free hand for a flashlight, or a plug-in for a work lamp. That's when a headlamp comes in handy. Don't overthink it; go to a place that sells camping supplies. I like the ones from Petzl."

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Hearing Protection

"I own a ton of headsets. What I use the most in recent years is an ear-bud-style that you can plug into an mp3 player or mobile device. I wear it when I'm using a blower or string trimmer. When using potentially dangerous power tools--such as saws and routers--I go with regular earplugs or a headset because I do not want to be distracted."

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Illustration by John Swanson

Cordless Impact Driver

"People still use cordless drills but cordless impact drivers have replaced them as the go-to fastening tool for nearly every trade on the jobsite. And with hex shank drill bits you can drill with them too. Unlike a drill, the impact driver doesn't have a constantly-torqueing electric motor that can break your wrist. Instead, the driver works in microbursts, which makes it ideal for doing anything from hanging cabinets to driving large deck and landscaping screws."

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Illustration by John Swanson

Lineman Pliers

"Open any pro's toolbox and you'll find a pair of lineman pliers, the go-to tool for working with wire. Klein is the obvious brand to get. It's what probably 80 percent of the electricians I know of use. I don't know that Klein invented the tool but they've been making them for like 100 years."

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Illustration by John Swanson

Narrow Nose Pliers

"People sometimes call these needle nose or long nose pliers. I own a whole bunch of them but my current favorite is from Channellock's E Series; they're just slightly downsized and narrower than normal. These things are hugely versatile. You can use them while working on machinery or even electronics."

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Illustration by John Swanson

Ratcheting Wrenches

"Get some combination ratcheting wrenches, open on one end, with a ratcheting box on the other. Tighten one way and flip it over to loosen – pretty simple but super handy. If you want to get tricky with it, get Wera's Joker model. They're the coolest looking wrenches you've ever seen. No only that, there's no little switch on the outside to break off, which has come off on some cheap versions I owned."

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Illustration by John Swanson

Markers

"Sharpie is a good go-to for marking on metal or wood. Milwaukee also makes one called the Inkzall in a bunch of different colors, including some specialized for use by welders."

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Illustration by John Swanson

Pliers Wrench

"The Pliers Wrench from Knipex is the midpoint between an adjustable wrench and a Channellock. The Pliers Wrench has handles like pliers, but it has parallel jaws that are smooth just like the jaws of an adjustable wrench. And it's sort of infinitely adjustable. You basically squeeze on it, get it close to the opening you want, and squeeze on it like you're holding a pair of Channellock pliers. This is admittedly a "luxury item," but once you have seen how the Pliers Wrench operates it's hard not to want one."

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Illustration by John Swanson

Stainless Steel Putty Knife

"You can use these to pry, scrape, and, off course, apply putty. I was once on a job where the painter used his to open a can of peaches and then spoon them into his mouth. I like putty knives, but eating with one is a little further than I would go."

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Oft-Forgotten Essentials

"No tool box is going to be complete without some Liquid Wrench penetrating oil in there, some WD-40, some 3-in-1 oil, and a big roll of duct tape. I'd feel very cheated if I opened up a toolbox and I didn't have those things in there. "

* This article is part of The Code, an editorial partnership between Popular Mechanics and Ford F-150.

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